Lightning image strikes new career path for Annapolis photographer

When Jennifer Casey moved Boston to Maryland in 2012, like most other newcomers she couldn't wait to capture the beauty of the area with her camera.

What she saw on the other side of the lens was opportunity, so her camera became her sidekick.

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Casey's photographs of lightning and sunsets netted her Internet fame, and one of the photos was even used on the Weather Channel — but when it was miscredited, she knew it was time to watermark her images.

"Jennifer Casey Photography" would appear on the hundreds of photos she would go on to shoot as her career took off.

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Working with others in the field is what helped the self-taught Casey hone her photography skills.

"When you're selling a house, the number one thing that buyers look for is the quality of photography. I have gotten clients specifically because of her photography," Donnelly said.

"My listings have sold in less than half the time."

Becky Jacobs hired Casey to take her wedding photos last June after a friend recommended her.

"She wanted to get an idea of my personality and she was able to accommodate my style, which is more eclectic and silly. I didn't want formal — that's not my style, and she was 100 percent willing to say we'll get pictures that are your style," Jacobs said.

"She really worked hard to figure out what I was looking for in my photography and made that happen."

Though Casey, 33, added wedding, maternity, newborn, family, headshots and events to her offerings, she never strayed from her love of landscape photography.

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An image she shot in June of a lightning strike under a rainbow was seen by half a million people in under 24 hours once posted to Facebook and it appeared in TheWashington Post.

"The biggest reason I've grown so much was through social media," Casey said.

Her image of the sun setting beyond the Bay Bridge and the tranquil water below was on the cover of The Guide last year, and her image of the Annapolis skyline at dark is on the cover this year. Each of the section photos in The Guide this year also were taken by Casey.

Busy with portraits in the spring and summer and landscapes in the fall, Casey said the scope of her work keeps her intrigued.